Councilmen unhappy with president's city manager committee

Members of the Ad Hoc City Manager Recruitment Advisory Committee are:

--Kay Deupree, representing neighborhoods.

--Mark Bush, chairman of Data Dimensions.

--Lisa Furseth, executive director of Community Action.

--David Cullen, CEO of JP Cullen & Sons.

--Ed Madere, retired city manager.

--Steve Kennedy, vice president Rock Road.

--Dave Riemer, owner of Harris Ace Hardware.

--Joe Pregont, president and CEO of Prent.

--Larry Squire, regional president of Johnson Bank.

--Kristin Fillhouer, assistant dean at UW-Rock County.

--Jeff Helgesen, president of Helgesen Development.

IF YOU GO

The Janesville City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.

An informal listening session during which some or all council members will be present begins at 6:30 p.m.

JANESVILLE--Two Janesville City Council members say they were frozen out of the process to create the resident committee that will interview city manager candidates later this month.

The committee will interview candidates Friday, Aug. 23, and members will share their impressions with the council later that night.

Councilmen Sam Liebert and DuWayne Severson put the issue of the 11-member ad hoc committee on Monday's council agenda.

Both said they would not expel anyone from the committee but do want to add names.

Liebert said Council President Kathy Voskuil was wrong when she chose the committee members alone and when she did not include representatives of labor or minorities.

Severson said he is happy with the current makeup but wants to suggest his own committee member.

Both said they believed they were going to have a chance to nominate committee members.

“I feel that as an equal member on the common council, my position has been usurped and overrided,” Liebert said.

The ad hoc committee does not reflect the “real” face of Janesville, Liebert said. He would add people to represent the city's minority population and also from “the house of labor."

Said Severson: “Sam and I just want to see what's best for our community and make sure everybody from our community is represented.”

Voskuil, who announced the committee makeup in late July, said she based her choices by considering the priorities council members included in recruitment materials. The council identified economic development as its first priority, she said.

Committee members also represent many other facets of city life, Voskuil said.